Starting From Scratch, Fitch Boys' Track Soaring

The stars did not seem to be aligned for a bright Fitch High boys' track team season.

Coach Rich Kosta welcomed only one state meet qualifier - javelin thrower John Joyner, back for 2011’s outdoor campaign. One. That's a dearth of quality experience from a program steeped in success on the state level, including a Class L state title in 2006.

Fitch track and field boasted a Who’s Who of athletic superstars in the 2000s. Dante Ross was a state champion long jumper in 2001. Sean Berg, a state champion hurdler and decathlete, went on to a standout career at the University of Connecticut. Ben Latham, now competing at Oklahoma , earned All-America honors in the javelin in 2009. James Shirvell, a middle distance state champ, made All-Ivy League at Yale this year.

Pole vaulters, jumpers, weight throwers, runners – Fitch was loaded seemingly year after year. Would the streak of excellence end as the spring preview prospectus suggested?

Well, one thing is constant with Fitch track and field. The veteran coaching staff of Kosta, pole vault and field guru David Daigneault and long distance instructor Wayne Jacob doesn’t graduate. Neither does Fitch’s endless pipeline of athletic talent.

A band of newcomers have blended with the few holdovers to produce another top-notch track and field program. The Falcons improved to 4-0 Tuesday with an 82-67 win over East Lyme.

Halfway through the season, Fitch appears headed on another collision course with traditional ECC Large title favorite Norwich Free Academy for the division crown May 18 in a dual met.

Fitch has found strength in numbers over the years, drawing large turnouts of 70 plus for the sport. Joyner said it all during a pregame pep talk before the season opening dual meet win over Montville: “They have some very good athletes, but our overall manpower will be too much for them.”

Fitch track comes at opponents in waves. Rarely are the Falcons lacking athletes in any of outdoor track's 17 events. The team's depth contributes to its ability to stock four runners in traditionally strong relay events. Kosta credits the program’s history and facilities with generating interest within the school.

“Having the field house close to the track is an asset and does make things more convenient, but I am not sure of the role it plays in keeping up our numbers,” he said. “I really think that it has more to do with the tradition of success and the fairness with which the coaches treat each athlete.

"This year we have almost started from scratch, but there is a whole lot of track and field knowledge on the coaching staff.”

When good talent meets good coaching, good things usually follow.

“We have been able to get some athletic kids to give track and field a try," Kosta said. "They are beginning to catch on to the technical aspects of the events and have begun to produce some results: four wins and consistent improvement in their individual performances.”

Kosta welcomed to the team a few football players trying to improve their speed and hone their overall fitness and strength. The arrangement has worked out for both parties. Derek Baldoz, the talented junior quarterback, has emerged as a top sprinter, turning in an 11.3 winning 100 meter dash against East Lyme.

Lexus Gordan and Deshawn Frederick have also keyed Fitch’s sprints, relays and jumps. Sophomore Saffwan Davis, a superstar running back in waiting, has helped in relays and has developed into the top shot putter. Joyner, 4th in the Class L javelin last year, was the only scorer among Fitch's top 15 point producers last season, illustrating the theme of starting from scratch.

A handful of returnees such as Kieron Smith (200 and 400 runs), Alex Olendorf (middle distances), John Coleman (sprints, relays, jumps) and Amancio Aguilar (pole vault) have improved dramatically this year. So even if the Falcons do not wow track followers with the dazzle they've had in the past - a 15-foot pole vaulter like Cory Calamari, a 200-foot javelin thrower like Latham, decathlon studs like Berg, Erik Thunberg or Fielding Pagel and state-title level relay teams - they are a threat to NFA.

"A number of athletes have come into their own, qualified for the state meet and should place well in the ECC Meet," Kosta said.